Chapter 27: Feng Jun Perhaps, she liked him a little bit.
Fu Yucai was a relatively well-known tailor shop in Huaicheng. By noon, many young ladies had gathered outside. The waiter stood outside, calling out at the top of his voice, "Ladies, please don't push! Don't push! Fu Yucai is packed with customers today. If you're in a hurry, you can go to the newly opened Fu Yunshang! It's also owned by my shopkeeper. The workmanship and materials are all top-notch! Every piece is perfect!"
Talking about the owner of Fu Yucai, it is naturally Zhu Hao. This shop is the clothing shop she renovated and opened a year ago. I still remember that when the new shop was opened, Zhu Hao encountered a lot of setbacks. The business was lukewarm for several months after opening. Due to the heavy burden of paying monthly wages to the shop assistants, she almost rented out her house. Until half a year ago, the leading Qiong Yifang in Huaicheng was exposed by customers for using inferior fabrics as high-quality ones, and thus lost a large number of regular customers. Only then did Fu Yucai under Zhu Hao's name start to improve.
As the regular customers of Qiongyifang lost their place of business, Zhu Hao seized the opportunity and tried every possible means to sell her clothes to attract customers. The young ladies found that not only were the styles of Fu Yucai clothes good, but the fabrics used were also in line with the selling price. Since then, Zhu Hao's clothing store has made a comeback and is thriving in Huaicheng. She worked hard to redeem the cloth shop she had previously resold for twice the amount of money, and reopened yesterday with the name "Fu Yunshang".
Fu Yucai offered affordable prices and only sold ready-made garments, while Fu Yunshang's prices were higher, offering both ready-made garments and custom orders. Zhu Hao figured that now that the first shop had established a reputation in the city, it was time to try targeting the city's wealthy ladies. Therefore, he could either tailor the garment to the customer's specifications, request a custom garment based on their measurements, or assign the shop's embroiderers and seamstresses to make the decision.
When the shop opened yesterday, she hadn't been there to help out, instead busy with another important matter. According to what Fang Xuyin had told the shop owner, the number of young ladies coming to Fu Yunshang to buy clothes was extremely small, and Zhu Hao was filled with suspicion. How could such a well-known first shop be so deserted? She pondered the matter all night, but could not fathom the mystery.
Fang Xu, sensing her distress, stepped forward and offered comfort, "Fu Yunshang was newly opened yesterday. As the saying goes, 'Everything is difficult at the beginning,' isn't Fu Yucai just like that? Who knows, in a while, young ladies coming here to buy clothes will be wearing down the door. Pianpian, think positively. At least we don't have to worry about saving money now. After all, things are much better than last year, don't you think? Shopkeeper Zhu?"
"You are not in good health, you are suffering from all kinds of injuries, and you are worried too much. When will you be able to recover? Don't let Fu Yunshang become famous just when you, the shopkeeper, fall down."
Zhu Haohao came over and gave her a forced smile, "As expected of a flower of language." After she finished speaking, she asked, "What time is it?"
Fang Xuyin said without hesitation: "About 9 o'clock?"
Zhu Hao stood up with a jerk. With a low cry, she rushed out. Her figure had just disappeared when, in the blink of an eye, Fang Xuyin saw Zhu Hao's head popping out from the wide-open door. "Xuyin, I'm going to the prison! If Chunsheng arrives, tell him to wait a moment, or... help measure his clothes!"
Fang Xu responded softly. Due to the recent busy work of the new shop, he almost forgot about this matter. Today should have been a good day for Zhu Lanxiang to be released from prison.
Fu Yunshang was not too far from the prison, but Zhu Hao's health was getting worse day by day. She had just left Fu Yunshang and walked around a street when cold sweat was already on her forehead. She squatted on the ground, thinking of taking a break first and looking for a coachman to take a walk.
Seeing that it was Zhu Hao, the tea merchant at the nearby stall offered her a cup of warm tea. "Miss Zhu, are you out doing business again? Look at you, you're sweating all over! Wouldn't it be more convenient for you to just have a cup of coarse tea? If I were to ask you, why not just buy a nice carriage and hire a coachman? Wouldn't that be more convenient?"
Zhu Hao took the cup and drank it down like a cow, saying, "Not too coarse! Not too coarse! Good tea."
Zhu Hao agreed with his idea, but she had never had the time to buy it. Seeing how miserable she was now, she really should put this matter on the agenda.
The lady selling cakes in front said, "Mrs. Zhu, are you hungry? Would you like some cloud cakes? They're freshly made this morning! They're fresh."
An elderly woman at the side interrupted and said, "Yunpian Gao is easy to choke on. Why not try grandma's Liang Gao? It's new and fresh, and it doesn't cost a penny."
Ever since You Yan was sentenced and the Shi family explained the truth behind the Qingfeng rumor, the people of Huaicheng have treated Zhu Hao very kindly. Whenever she walks on the streets, she will inevitably be greeted by the people of Huaicheng and asked about her well-being.
Zhu Hao smiled and thanked him. Just then she saw a carriage passing by. She waved goodbye to everyone and rode away.
The vendors only began to chatter when they saw the carriage carrying the blessings turn into another street.
"Hey, you say, where has Miss Zhu been? Why has she gotten herself so exhausted? In my humble opinion, Miss Zhu's body urgently needs to rest on a soft couch to recuperate. How can she be well after running around every other day?"
"Today, it's all for her aunt! Hey? Haven't you heard? Today, her aunt Zhu Lanxiang was supposed to be released from prison after serving her sentence, but what happened? Zhu Lanxiang! She killed someone!"
"I know! I know! It's Madam Zhu's father who's been harmed! He's saying something about using 'Di Ling' as a medicine to poison people. Lin Zhubo, oh no, now I have to respectfully address you as 'Prefect', he has already found out that Zhu Lanxiang did this vile thing over ten years ago! And there's a witness! It's none other than her old lover! He used to be a servant in the You family! Tell me, how dare a woman like this, who hasn't even divorced her husband yet, be so bold!"
"Well, it's just like 'divorcing'. Her husband is the younger brother of Zhu Lanxiang's father, and she killed his brother! What a blood feud! What's more, since Zhu Lanxiang was imprisoned last year, her husband hasn't come to visit her! I heard he packed his bags and fled Huaicheng a long time ago! Come to think of it, how could he not avoid such a vicious woman? How dare he not avoid her?"
…
The prison was always dark and damp, and Zhu Lanxiang's cell was deep inside. As Zhu Hao went deeper, the rustling of her footsteps and clothes startled the rats in the prison corridor. The foul smell and eerie scenery of the prison made it difficult for her to breathe. Zhu Hao leaned against the wall to rest, and after a while, she stepped forward.
There was a noise not far away, and then Zhu Lanxiang, wearing a torn and dirty prison uniform, threw herself against the prison door.
I wish you good luck in standing outside the prison.
After a year of torture in prison, Zhu Lanxiang looked no longer like a human being. Zhu Hao almost didn't recognize her. The prison wall behind her was covered with stained blood, which was frightening.
Zhu Hao forced herself to suppress her fear. She smiled and said, "Aunt, I haven't seen you for a year. Pian Pian has come to visit you in prison. This visit will probably be the last time we will see each other in this life. Aunt, you have committed a serious crime. From now on, you are not allowed to allow relatives to visit you. At most, you can visit once a year. However, Pian Pian is busy with business in both shops and cannot spare time. Therefore, Pian Pian can only see you once, so as not to make me sick from seeing you too often."
Zhu Lanxiang had a ferocious expression on her face. She spat a mouthful of thick phlegm from her throat onto the side of Zhu Hao's boots. She seemed to have been devoured by an evil spirit and lay limply on the damp and moldy floor tiles.
Zhu Lanxiang laughed foolishly for a long time, her eyes becoming empty as she spoke cruelly and viciously in a calm tone, "A year ago, you went to great lengths to get me into this prison, just so you could investigate your father's affairs? Good luck! It was I, Zhu Lanxiang, who underestimated you back then. If I had known you were such a disaster, such a jinx! I would have definitely reunited you with your parents when your father passed away!"
Zhu Hao was so small at that time, and his neck was so slender. She only needed to pinch him lightly, and the evil creature would be dead!
"So, aunt, was it because you weren't cruel enough that you ended up in this situation?" Zhu Hao expressed pity and sobbed softly, "Aunt, Pian Pian wasn't cruel enough either. For your crime of murder, you deserve your life. However, Pian Pian couldn't bear to see you go, so... Pian Pian is asking the prefect to do you a favor."
"Aunt, you can live a peaceful life from now on, living alongside the rats in the prison, sleeping in the same bed every night. You will be confined to the dark prison until your hair turns gray and your back becomes bent. The beautiful world outside the prison will have nothing to do with you, until you turn into a handful of dust to pay for my father's life."
Upon hearing this, Zhu Lanxiang shuddered. She awkwardly climbed up from the floor and looked at Zhu Hao standing outside the prison - she was wearing gorgeous clothes and light gauze, with her hair tied up high. Although she looked sick and pale, she had a beautiful face. Just standing there, she looked like a sickly Xi Shi.
Zhu Lanxiang clutched the bars tightly and demanded loudly, "This world is inherently unfair, isn't it?! Why was I promised to a lowly blacksmith? Why does your mother live a life of luxury? Why is she and her husband in perfect harmony?"
"What about me? I have nothing! Everyone says that if you want something, you have to work hard for it. I fought for it! I robbed it! I fought for myself! What did I do wrong? Who in the world doesn't have blood on their hands? What did I do wrong? Didn't the founding emperors of all dynasties also plunder and kill people? Kill ministers? They did it for profit, so what's right or wrong? What did I do wrong? Do you think I don't want to be a good person?"
"Zhu Hao, are you clean? What gives you the right to act so high and mighty and judge others? You knew full well that I had never conspired with You Yan, yet you, for your own selfish reasons, framed me and imprisoned me for a whole year! Besides, your father was already in a state of decline, and if I hadn't conspired, his days would have been numbered! Otherwise, how could he have been unable to wake up after taking a dose of Di Ling? You don't really think it was me who sent your father to death, do you? It was you! Zhu Hao! If my sister hadn't died in childbirth because of you, how could your father have been devastated and developed heart cancer? You jinx!"
She said word by word, "You and I are the accomplices in the murder of your father."
Zhu Hao suppressed his emotions and looked at her with a complicated expression. "My father was just a blacksmith at first, Aunt." She paused, coughed a few times, and then said, "I'm certainly not a good person, nor am I clean, but I've been a human for 19 years and have never taken anyone's life. It's difficult for me to judge the monarchs recorded in history, nor can I judge right or wrong. And you, comparing your own dirty thoughts with those of a monarch, don't you think it's ridiculous?"
Zhu Lanxiang said nothing. She leaned dejectedly against the prison door, tears rolling down her face. Her fingers gripping the prison bars were rough, and her nails were not long but uneven. In front of Zhu Hao, she put her little finger into her mouth and sucked it, and even the nails of some fingers had been blown off.
She stared straight at Zhu Hao, her brows softening, but her right hand had already gathered strength to penetrate the prison wood, trying to reach Zhu Hao, "Pian Pian, auntie still has an important matter to tell you. Your mother asked me to tell you before she left. Pian Pian, come closer, auntie will tell you, okay? Auntie knows that I have committed a serious sin, I just want to explain your mother's request..."
Zhu Hao didn't buy her story and took a step back. "Such an important matter, I'm sure my mother has already informed my father. Why do you need to speak up? My father once said, 'My mother only wishes me a long life, happiness and good health.' What nonsense are you trying to say, aunt? If you really have something to say, you can discuss it with the prison rat. Su Pian Pian will no longer accompany you."
Zhu Hao turned and left. Zhu Lanxiang screamed like a madman. Her facial features were distorted in an instant, but she could only be trapped in this prison. She witnessed Zhu Hao's figure disappear in the damp and dark prison.
Zhu Lanxiang fell to the ground, laughing foolishly.
…
When Zhu Hao arrived at the prison by car, the sky was not clear but it was not raining. But when she walked out of the prison gate, she saw heavy rain in the sky.
There was no one outside the door. She had clearly asked the coachman to wait outside, but now there was no one. She didn't bring an umbrella today and didn't know how to get back.
Just as she was in a dilemma, a servant came forward and handed Zhu Hao a lily-of-the-valley umbrella, saying, "The rickshaw driver who was waiting here just now had trouble at home and had to leave work early. It was raining when he left, so he left this umbrella for you. He said that if you are lucky enough to meet you again in the future, he will give you half the price."
Zhu Hao stared at the umbrella in surprise, and then took it with thanks. Her body was no longer what it used to be, and she couldn't withstand the slightest wind and rain, but she had to go back to Fu Yunshang, as she had an appointment with Shi Chunsheng today.
The wind was strong and the rain was heavy on the long street. The hem of her skirt was soaked in an instant. Zhu Hao covered her lips and coughed softly. Fortunately, the prison was not far from Fu Yunshang.
Zhu Hao took another step, and in an instant, the rain curtains around them disappeared, as if by a miracle. She paused, her thoughts swirling like clouds. She raised her flower umbrella high, and suddenly, a pair of men's blue satin cloud boots caught her eye.
She looked up and suddenly saw the clear sky.
She felt like there was something stuck in her throat, and she couldn't say a word when she saw this extremely familiar face.
Song Xieqing stood on tiptoe with her, but he was still so tall that she had to look up at him.
His face was as pale as death, and a long crimson-purple strip like a vine stretched from his neck to his right cheek. Upon closer inspection, the vine was engraved with ancient characters that looked like curse words.
I wish I could recall the first time I met him a year ago, also in a rain curtain, still in March. He was still as fairy-like as before, but his drooping phoenix eyes contained a cluster of blazing fire that could start a prairie fire.
Zhu Hao's heart was beating wildly for no reason. After a year, although he was not by his side, Zhu Hao could still connect with him through many things.
For example, she often glimpsed Song Xieqing in ancient books and scrolls. Another example was that she thought of the wedding wine with him just because of a pot of green nectar. Or when she took a quick glance at Zhe E Zhai, she would subconsciously mistake the figure for him.
Although the rain had stopped, the strong wind had not yet died down. Amidst the howling wind, a carriage sped past, splashing water several feet in its path. Song Xieqing placed his palm on her five fingers that were tightly gripping the umbrella handle. He tilted the umbrella handle, as the water splashed by the carriage was blocked out by the umbrella.
Song Xieqing's palms were burning hot. A year ago, he helped her with many trivial matters. After so many years, this was the first time she had such a entanglement with a man.
In the past, when she thought of Song Xieqing, her heart was always as hazy as the moon covered by clouds. She hadn't seen him for a long time and it was difficult to figure out the reason. No matter how hard Zhu Hao tried, she could not dispel the clouds.
A year later, Zhu Hao saw him again, and she vaguely understood why she was thinking of him among so many seemingly insignificant things.
Maybe, a little bit, she likes Song Xieqing.
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Author's note: This volume is finished! (The note is a bit long, feel free to scroll down. I really enjoy discussing and explaining the plot with everyone.) If no one reads, just ignore what I said (humph)
The name of the next volume is "Moving the Ordinary Heart"
Pian Pian's parents died young, and he had a hard time in his life. His only playmates were Xiaochun and his brother. However, Xiaochun's grandfather was afraid that his sequelae would be exposed, so he threatened Xiaochun with his own life for many years to keep him away from Pian Pian. It was not until the incident with You Yan that his grandfather finally felt guilty. So Pian Pian had been carrying everything alone for so many years.
Because of this, she met Xiao Song. At the beginning, she also understood that she and Xiao Song were just for the sake of benefit, and he saved her from danger many times. But Pianpian also knew that Xiao Song was not a wicked person. Xiao Song was different from others. Although he was kind to Pianpian for the sake of taking advantage of her, he was really omnipotent (after all, he was not a normal human being). This was the first time that Pianpian had been so close to a boy in her life (after all, Xiaochun had not met her in person for many years). Pianpian was still a girl, and Xiao Song was so old. Although he had never been in love, he had seen everything (now Xiao Song's feelings for Pianpian were just a good impression, but not love), so it was inevitable that Pianpian would be moved first.
However, in terms of love, Zhu Pianpian will never lose (hands on hips)
After Xiao Song falls in love, he will never let Pian Pian feel that there is a big gap between them emotionally.
I wish Pianpian will never be abused because of love. I love women very much, don't worry~
Thank you to the little angels who voted for me or provided me with nutrient solution between 2024-07-27 20:59:05 and 2024-07-29 20:28:40~
Thanks to the little angel who cast the mine: 1 piece of wine;
Thanks to the little angel who irrigated the nutrient solution: 27 bottles of wine;
Thank you very much for your support. I will continue to work hard!
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